LAHORE: The National U-19 Championship 2026-27 will begin across the country on Sept 15, with 20 teams representing 16 cricket regions taking part in the three-day competition followed by the National U-19 Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Monday.
Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Sialkot will field two teams each in both competitions, with around 400 players expected to feature across the tournaments.
The players will first compete in red-ball cricket in the National U-19 Championship before facing the same opponents in the corresponding round of the National U-19 Cup, which will be played in the one-day format.
The tournaments will offer a pathway to the Pakistan U-19 side, with players looking to stake their claims for upcoming international assignments. Pakistan U-19 are currently in England for a bilateral series against England U-19.
The winners will receive a prize of Rs2 million, while the runners-up will collect Rsim.
According to the PCB, the 20 teams have been divided into four groups of five. The top two teams from each group will qualify for the quarterfinals, with the winners progressing to the semifinals and subsequently the final.
The National U-19 Cup final will be played on Oct 24, while the National U-19 Championship final, which will be a four-day match, is scheduled for Nov 3-6. The venues for both finals will be announced later.-Sports Reporter